Frittata
What am I doing posting an egg recipe??????
Over the past four weeks, as I think we all have, I’ve been very strategic about my egg purchases. Lately they seem to be in stock more, and when buying the store brand,1 not as astronomically priced as some other choices. AND, there have been some cool 18-count egg cartons that I’ve snatched up and put to good use (see below!). Although I’m making them much less, I’ve missed my frittatas as an easy, healthy dish, especially in these waning cold days. Even though most recipes call for ~8 eggs, frittatas are actually a great way to stretch eggs when you add in lots of vegetables.
Recipe inspiration: the frittata
Anyone who has been working with me lately has probably heard me talk a lot about roasted vegetables.2 They are my winter superheroes. Roasting vegetables is a very easy way to cook a lot of veggies at one time - and of course, yields delicious (and nutritious!) results. The point is to have leftovers. Usually, my main go-to is to take my leftover roasted potatoes and broccoli from dinner and make a frittata. This is an easy way to get vegetables in your lunch. I either have just the slice of frittata, or pair it with a bright mesclun side salad to lend some freshness. (Seasonal eating is tough and sometimes I miss that crisp of those fresh spring greens.)
Frittatas are one of those handy “kitchen sink” recipes that can easily absorb the random leftovers you have in your refrigerator. Which means that my frittata recipe is a non-recipe that’s a little different each time, but the basic template (eggs, dash of milk, salt, pepper, veggies, same skillet, same cooking method) remains the same. If you are new to frittatas, here are some recipes to help you get started, and for others, perhaps they offer some ideas to try different ingredient combinations and flavors. I hope you feel inspired to try something new.
The Only Frittata Recipe You’ll Ever Need (Epicurious) - More than just a recipe, this article makes an even better pitch for having this “highly versatile” dish in your repertoire and provides some useful technique tips.
Potato and Broccolini Frittata (Smitten Kitchen)
How to Make a Perfect Frittata (The Kitchn) - Includes an easy ratio / formula to keep handy when making your own frittata creations. There is also a helpful short video. Most recipes call for whole milk or cream. I rarely use heavy cream because it is too rich for me, and whole milk is also something we usually have on hand.
There are always many articles, recipes and posts about eggless frittatas and tofu scrambles. I haven’t made it yet, but this recent post from Hetty Lui McKinnon’s Substack has definitely caught my eye — her Vegan Green and Herb Frittata uses 7 cups of kale and herbs!!!
Speaking of fresh spring greens…
FINALLY — it is time to go from thinking and talking about gardening to doing. I am a looong way from being a seasoned gardener, so each year I look forward to trying and learning new things. This year I am attempting to start some seeds indoors. So far, this is a low effort enterprise that I did with my daughter, so we will see if anything has sprouted by next week!
We could spend a lot of time just talking about which kinds of eggs to buy and what all of the different labels and claims actually mean. Perhaps that is another post! I buy Whole Foods private label eggs. I find that these have the quality and standards that I want, while being much less expensive than some of the other egg brands they carry.
See my Ode to Brussels Sprouts post. Which by the way, are outstanding in a frittata. And speaking of Brussels sprouts in frittatas, Smitten Kitchen has a brilliant, indulgent Brussels Sprouts and Bacon Frittata recipe that I make a modified version of with less bacon. (It’s such a flavorful ingredient, a little really does go a long way.)